The Apple of Crete
by MattyMonstuh
Summary: Cleon, a Greek Assassin, knows nothing but his training. So when he makes a strange discovery during one of his missions, he is unsure of what to do.


Crete, 1346

Cleon sat perched atop a building, his back to the wall, watching the people below as they walked the busy streets, shopping at the markets. He pretended to be asleep, as the Venetian guard approached him from a separate room top, paralleled to the one he sat on, with his bow drawn and an arrow in place. The guard reached him and prodded Cleon on the top of his head, poking his hood.

"Hai bisogno di tornare a terra con il resto della sporcizia." (You need to get back on the ground with the rest of the filth.) The guard said. He squinted and crouched lower, studying the symbol on the top of Cleon's hood, and his eyes grew wide. "Assassin!" (Assassin!) He yelled, and his voice was cut short, as Cleon's extended Hidden Blade buried itself deep in the guards' heart.

"Shhh, Shhhh ... είναι με το Θεό σας τώρα." (Shhh, shhhh...be with your God now.) Cleon whispered as the man gagged and died, Cleon laying him gently on the rooftop, cleaning and sheathing his Hidden Blade. He set the man down and positioned his body to make it look like he was napping. Cleon hung the quiver of arrows on his back and slid himself between the bowstring and the wood, hanging it on his shoulder. He looked down at the guard and placed two fingers on his forehead, whispering "Σας ευχαριστούμε για αυτά τα δώρα, ο φίλος μου." (Thank you for these gifts, my friend.) Cleon then made his way up the tower the guard was napping on.

Cleons' master waited for him atop the bell tower, admiring the bell. He was a wise old man, well into his 70's, who had taught Cleon everything he knew, ever since he arrived from Athens in 1329. Cleon himself was 33, with his banishment from Athens when he was just 15. He was born in July 1296, and has been an Assassin for 17 years. 17 years he had been with his master…and still did not know his name.

"Έχει έρθει η ώρα, Κλέωνα."(The time has come, Cleon.) Master said.

"Ξέρω, ο Δάσκαλος. Ποιος είναι ο στόχος μου;"(I know, Master. Who is my target?) Cleon replied.

"Apalogos. Αυτός είναι ένας από τους ηγέτες του Αγίου Τίτου και το Ενετικό Αυτοκρατορία. Είναι εδώ, στην Κρήτη, την επιθεώρηση της Εκκλησίας. Υποψιάζομαι ότι θα ξέρετε πού να τον βρω;"( Apalogos. He is one of the leaders of St. Titus and the Venetian Empire. He is here, in Crete, inspecting the Church. I suspect you'll know where to find him?) Master turned to Cleon, pointing at the very church of St. Titus, giving him the nod to leave. Cleon jumped from the perch of the tower into the bale of hay below, and cautiously made his way toward the church in the near distance, blending with the crowd, attempting to bring as little attention to himself as he could, the Venetians watching the citizens every move.

Once Cleon reached the church, he inspected the courtyard, hands behind his back, acting as a simple visitor admiring the structure. The courtyard was mostly grassy, with a tree in each corner, another bell tower in one corner, and some graves for the dead. The number of graves was growing by the day, with this strange plague going around.

Once Cleon was positive about his strategy, and that no one was looking, he climbed up the tower. Once near the bell, he opened the trap door under it, and dropped inside, landing on the stairway of the tower. He leaned over the railing to check for guards, or possibly his target. He saw neither. Cleon started making his way down the steps, the wood of the stairs creaking as he went.

Cleon reached the bottom of the tower and hid behind one of the walls flanking the door to the rest of the church. He was about to slowly and cautiously open one of the double doors, when it opened, and he flattened himself against the wall.

"Μας είπαν κάποιος πήγαινε να σπάσει μέσα στην εκκλησία με το καμπαναριό, κύριέ μου. Θέλουμε να ελέγξετε και να βεβαιωθείτε ότι είναι ασφαλές." (We were told someone was going to break into the church using the bell tower, my lord. We want to check and make sure it is safe.) The man walked past the door, carrying a torch and a sword. Cleon waited for him to make it completely inside the tower before slamming the door.

The guard spun and raised his sword. Without hesitation, Cleon knocked the torch out of his grasp with his left forearm gauntlet, raising his right one to block the predictable slash of the sword, and kicked the guard in the groin. Cleon caught the sword as the man dropped it, spinning it and stabbing it down on his neck. Quickly, he pulled the dead guard into the corner, picked up the torch, and went back to the door, opening it, and walked right into the church.

Cleon, armed with his torch, walked down a dim hallway, walking toward the offices area, which is where he suspected his target to be. He turned corner after corner, just like he'd practiced with his map, and came to another stairway located at the end of the hall. This corridor was lined with torches, and was much easier to see in. So, the Venetians at the end of the hallway blocking the stairs had no problem seeing Cleon.

They unsheathed their swords and charged Cleon, which he smiled and chuckled at. This was so typical of the Venetians. Charge and slice. Both guards reached him at once, swinging like madmen. Cleon knocked aside the sword on the left with his torch and kicked the right one out of the man's grasp, which Cleon caught. Before the weaponless guard could react, Cleon made an X shape with the sword and torch, catching the first man's second attempt at a kill, turned it and drew the blade into the right man. He brought the flaming end of the torch down on the left mans' head, forcing him to double over, Cleon's sword sliding right into his forehead.

Cleon let them fall, moving their bodies to the sides of the hallway, removing the weapons from them out of respect. "Λυπάμαι που έπρεπε να τελειώσει με αυτόν τον τρόπο για εσάς, τους φίλους μου."( I am sorry it had to end this way for you, my friends.) He closed their eyes, and hung his torch on one of the few empty torch holders. He also left the swords.

Surely the man had heard the commotion down the stairs from his office. Cleon wanted to make this assassination quick and get out quicker. He charged up the stairs and busted through the door. The office was well lit with a mixture of candle light and sunlight. The only thing that was missing was his target. The room was hard wood flooring, with a wooden desk and leather chair. Several rugs lay around the room. Cleon walked into the middle of the room, looking around, inspecting the bottom of the desk. Then he heard a creak.

The young man, who was instantly recognized as Apalogos, thanks to Cleons Gift, charged him with yet another sword. Apalogos, black haired, and even more black bearded, has had much more sword training than a normal Venetian guard. Cleon turned and met the sword with his left gauntlet, hitting it to the left, and extended his right Hidden Blade as the man turned, moving in to make the kill. But Apalogos spun, meeting the Hidden Blade with his sword blade. Cleon stepped back, holding the Blade out, extending his left Blade and staring Apalogos in the eye. Then, typical of all cowards, Apalogos screamed ""ΠΡΟΣΤΑΤΕΥΤΙΚΑ!"( GUARDS!)

Cleon and Apalogos stared each other in the eye until the guards came. 6 of them total. Cleon pivoted his Hidden Blades, turning them into his main weapons: Hidden Daggers. The guards lined up next to Apalogos, 3 on each side. And Cleon just had to say the words… ""Ελάτε να με πάρει."(Come get me.)

The seven men charged, raising their swords. Cleon caught2 of the blades, sliding under one of them, going between his legs, coming up behind him and dragging a blade down his spine, hitting a blade away with his right gauntlet. He somersaulted, slicing a foot off another guard as he rolled up, getting back to his feet. The man fell, screaming. Cleon spun, knocking away Apalogos's sword with his left gauntlet and cutting another mans' throat. He held another blade in place, stabbing a fourth man in the heart 3 times, kicking away Apalogos's sword yet again, and pivoted around another guard, snapping his neck. Just Apalogos and another guard remained. Cleon tackled Apalogos, knocking him to the ground, rolling off him and twisting his legs around the legs of the last guard, spinning him and slamming him to the ground as well. Cleon crouched over the guard, decapitating him by scissoring his head with the daggers, and stood. Apalogos stood as well, breathing heavily. Cleon pivoted his daggers back into Hidden Blade form, and sheathed them. Apalogos took this as an opportunity, and charged. Cleon let him approach, and caught his sword on his gauntlet. He pushed, smashing Apalogos against the wall, hitting him in the face with his right gauntlet, extended his Hidden Blade, and stabbed Apalogos right in the Adams Apple. He slumped immediately, his sword clanking to the ground.

Cleon stepped back, looking at the mess he had mad. Panting, he walked over to the desk, and sat down. He rested for a few minutes, and decided to inspect the drawers of the desk. After finding casual office supplies, he opened the final drawer on the bottom right. Inside was an Apple. But not just an apple…an apple made of some kind of metal. Cleon picked it up, and immediately felt frozen. Images flashed across the room. Cleon felt the Apple growing hotter and hotter, the images from his mind becoming more and more horrid. Finally, they stopped, and Cleon was more tired than ever. He stared at the Apple, and slipped it into his pouch. He ran for the window and climbed out. He had to get this Apple to Master.

Or not.

To be continued.


End file.
